Love Like Mine
by Lilliana Hana
Summary: He was just a boy, in love with a girl he could never have—his best friend. Oneshot.


**Things to know before reading: **

**1. Everyone is human in this story. **

**2. This story is told in first person through InuYasha's point of view.**

**Love Like Mine:**

_He was just a boy, in love with a girl he could never have—his best friend._

* * *

Growing up, I didn't have many friends.

My mother was a bit zany and more on the crazy side. Because of this, she decided it would be a good idea to home school me. I think after my dad walked out on her when he found out she was pregnant with me, she lost her marbles. She was young, and apparently _really_ loved the guy. Some guy. I never met him.

Sometimes, I swore she saw him through me. That she used me to ease the hole he had created in her heart.

My mother was lucky enough to have one of those stay at home jobs. She didn't make a lot of money with it, but it allowed her enough free time to still be able to work to support us, as well as home school me at the same time.

Anyway, because of this, growing up, I had only one friend. And that was only because our parents had been best friends since high school. It was some grand dream of theirs to raise their kids together and have them become best friends as well. I never understood it, but it ended up working out in the end.

Her name was Kagome. And she was probably the best thing that ever happened to me. We were always inseparable from the moment we were born. We did _everything_ together.

Any, and ever major milestone we tackled it jointly, with one another at our sides. You know, like learning how to ride a bike, we got our drivers license on the same day... Anything, you name it, we did it.

Despite all these things, and all of the time we spent with each other, we couldn't have been more different. Because I was homeschooled, I didn't socialize well with others. Especially people I didn't know very well. I always somehow managed to make a fool of myself, which is why more often than not I avoided foreign human interaction.

Kagome, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. She adored interacting with other people. Especially those she had never met before. In high school, she was definitely one of the most popular girls. She had had plenty of boyfriends, and even more friends. She was never alone, not like I was. People just flocked to her, as if drawn to her in droves.

At times, I envied her ability to make friends so easily.

When it came time for my senior year, after years of begging, and pestering my mom non-stop, she finally relented and allowed me to experience public school. It was nothing like what I had thought it was, and almost immediately I felt like I had made one of the biggest mistakes of my life.

The stories I had heard about it from Kagome were just a smidgen of the truth. I had always been curious to experience school for what it was. It was an unknown world to me, and what little I knew about it came from Kagome.

School was a place she seemed to loathe, but at the same time loved. I couldn't wrap my brain around it—the concept seemed so bizarre that I wanted to know what it was really like.

Though if I was going to be honest with myself, I really just wanted to spend more time around Kagome.

By this time, I was madly in love with a girl I knew I'd never have, and willing to do anything to even have a second of more time with her. How could I not have fallen in love with her? We grew up together, she saw me at my worst, and never judged me. Kagome was always there when I needed her. I knew her better than anyone, and she was the same for me.

On my first day, after all the stares, and whispers, I could already tell I had made a big mistake.

There seemed to be something about me, something about the way I acted that singled me out to everyone. Right away, it was as if I was immediately labeled as the outcast. Maybe it was the way I dressed, or the way I carried myself. Whatever it was, I'll never know. But from day one, I could already hear their whispers and laughter.

"_Isn't that the new kid?"_

"_Yeah. Wasn't he homeschooled?"_

"_Why did he decide to come here?"_

"_Look at his clothes! Who would wear something like that?"_

"_He's so weird-looking. Why is his hair so long? Hasn't he ever heard of a hair cut?"_

But if I wasn't sure after all of that, that his would be one of the worst days of my life, it was further cemented when I saw Kagome and her boyfriend. She didn't talk much about him, but seeing them together for the first time was like a knife to my heart.

They complimented each other so well.

Kagome seemed so sure of herself, so confident standing there with all her friends.

I envied the guy glued to her side—a place I dreamed of being able to be.

Her boyfriend was obviously some big shot jock. There was no missing that. The way he carried himself was proof enough.

He was overly confident and extremely arrogant. And if the muscles weren't proof enough, his face was plastered all over the walls for his athletic accomplishments.

They were perfect for one another, in ways Kagome and I would never be. I was a social outcast, scrawny, and weak. In no way was I worthy of Kagome's attention.

Despite that obvious truth, Kagome never seemed to care. She treated me just like she would anyone else, and never once ignored me or brushed me aside. I more than appreciated that kindness.

That first day, the second she her eyes met mine, her face lit up with one of the most beautiful of smiles I had ever seen.

Her boyfriend never did like me, and never would, but with smug pride, I loved how I could pull her away from him with just my presence.

"InuYasha!" She abandoned him without a hint of hesitation to come stand with me, and the whispers only grew.

"_Why is Kagome talking to him? She's too pretty to be friends with such a loser."_

_"Maybe she just wants him to feel welcome. Kagome has always been nice to everyone."_

"_If I were her boyfriend, I wouldn't let her talk to such a loser."_

By day one I was already labeled as the outcast, and the fact that Kagome, the schools most popular good girl was friends with me, seemed to be one of the biggest crimes. But Kagome never listened to what they had to say about us, and she never let anyone talk bad about me if she was around. She made the whole experience worthwhile, and was the reason I never gave up.

I remember one day, in particular. It had been one of those days where nothing seemed to be going right.

Everyone was out to get me that day, and I knew when I got home, my mom would beg me to allow her to home school me again. She worried about me. I was often getting into fights, and coming home with new bruises. As her only child, she hated to see me hurt. But I refused. I enjoyed the extra time with Kagome, and I wasn't a quitter. There was no way I'd allow my tormentors the satisfaction of seeing me leave.

On this day, it was her boyfriend and his cronies that had it out for me. Apparently, he hated the fact that I spent so much time with HIS girlfriend. He didn't like our relationship and he also didn't like that he couldn't force Kagome to stop hanging out with me. She was strong-headed; yet another thing I loved about her.

It was partly because of this, that he had decided to take his anger out on me.

They had cornered me in the men's locker room. I was unfortunate enough to have gym as my last period. Somehow these guys knew exactly where to find me.

I never saw the first punch coming. It was enough to send me slamming into the lockers behind me, before I slid to the floor in a pathetic heap. I felt the blood trickling down my face as I lied on the floor gasping for breath.

I hoped Kagome wouldn't find me until this was all over. I didn't want her to see me so weak, so broken. I couldn't even defend myself and it shamed me. I didn't want her to see me like this, afraid of how it would change the way she saw me.

We always walked home together without fail, every day. When I didn't show up to meet her at her locker, I knew Kagome would know something was amiss and come looking for me.

"You think you can steal my girlfriend away from me, Mutt?" The taunt was punctuated by a well-placed kick to the gut. I groaned and curled even more in on myself, hoping for it to be over soon.

One of my many tormentors' favorite insults was to make fun of my odd name. Often times I was referred to as dog. It didn't bother me so much anymore. I was used to it.

"You think you can take her away from me?" Kouga yelled, enraged.

He kicked me again as I felt his cronies take their own turn to teach me a lesson. The repeated blows came in painful succession.

I prayed for the torture to be over soon.

"_**Kouga!"**_

Suddenly, everything came to a halt, the blows stopped, and I heard everyone quickly back away from me.

I knew then that Kagome had found us. I hated when she saw me like this—so frail, and so defeated. I was always embarrassed and ashamed.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" She screamed, roughly pushing her way through the throng of jocks to come and sit beside me. She pulled me into her arms, running her hands over every bruise, every hurt.

I worried about dirtying her with my blood, but she didn't seem to care in the slightest.

"Oh my God, InuYasha! Are you okay?" She had asked me. Her voice was so soft, so full of concern.

"I'm fine." I lied, trying to get to my feet but she stopped me. She refused to let me move, as if afraid I'd hurt myself further.

I ached all over, and I swore Kagome could see right through my lies.

"How could you do this to him, Kouga?! He's my best friend! What did he ever do to you?!"

Kagome's face grew a deep shade of red I had never seen before as her anger grew. She pointed an accusing finger at her boyfriend. She came to stand within an inch of his form, somehow managing to make a guy that was a foot taller than her, cower at her presence.

"Kagome, I… It's not what it looks like!" True fear shown in Kouga's eyes, but not an ounce of guilt could be found for what he had done to me.

"Oh, really? Then what is it, tell me what it really is, Kouga?! Because it seems to me that you and your friends were beating up InuYasha! What kind of man are you, that you felt the need to hurt someone else?!" Her finger jabbed Kouga in the chest with every point she made, pushing him back further and further until he hit the wall behind him.

"Look at him!" She pointed her finger at my prone form. "Look what you've done to him! Do you even feel an ounce of regret, of remorse for hurting him like this? You should be ashamed of yourselves!" Her attention was now focused on the others in the room, who seemed unable to look her in the eyes.

"I-I..." Even some dumb jock like Kouga knew when there was nothing he could say to defend himself. The proof of his actions was as unavoidable as the blood running down my face.

His lack of remorse seemed to enrage Kagome on a whole new level.

"You know what, Kouga? We're through!" I had never seen Kagome so heated before. "I can't believe you would so something so disgusting as this! I'm done with you! You sicken me and I never want to see you again!"

With that, Kagome turned on her heel, heading straight for me. She helped me to my feet, and was gracious enough to allow me to lean on her for support. The pain shooting through my sides almost sent me back to my knees.

The sea of jocks quickly parted as Kagome guided me outside.

Behind us, I could hear Kouga calling for her, begging her to come back to him, to let him explain, that it was all just a big misunderstanding. But Kagome never once looked back, never once gave him the time of day ever again.

I fell deeper in love with her after that. I didn't think it was possible, but it happened. She had this way about her of just making me love her more and more with everything she did.

Sometimes I thought it was so obvious, how could she not see it? But if she did, she never gave me any indication otherwise.

I wish I could say after that moment, that school got better for me. No, in fact, things got worse. Kouga seemed to have it out for me for the rest of the year. He blamed me for his and Kagome's breakup, instead of the faults within himself. I more often than not found myself on the receiving end of his both physical and verbal abuse.

But none of that mattered, because I had Kagome with me every step of the way. Through every bruise, through every fight, she was always there to make it all better.

Then, finally, graduation came. My mom didn't have the money to send me off to college, and I didn't really have any aspirations to go anyway. I didn't anticipate anything great or inspiring for my future, so whether I went or not was not something I cared too much about.

Kagome, on the other hand… her grades may not have been perfect, especially in math, but she had this charisma about her that I knew would take her places.

Places that would eventually lead her far away from me. Thinking about that hurt me far more deeply than I'd ever verbally admit.

Immediately after graduation, Kagome was picked up by some modeling recruiter. Which didn't surprise me. She was beautiful, tall and had this amazing personality that just made everyone she met fall instantly in love with her. She was just perfect in my eyes.

The recruiters had seen some of the work she had done sporadically throughout her teen years, and really saw some potential in her. No time was wasted in signing her to their company. The only problem was the gig was in the U.S. Kagome had to move to New York to be closer to their headquarters.

She was going to leave Japan. To travel and see the world, she had said to me one day, shortly after she had accepted their offer. It was the day I knew would be coming but that didn't make it hurt any less. Kagome was leaving me, perhaps for good. We may try to keep in touch, but I knew eventually our contact with one another would fade, and our close relationship would be nothing more than a distant memory.

It hurt, to realize this was the end of us, of the closeness we shared. I'd miss her, but I would never want to hold her back from doing something she loved.

The thing about Kagome was, she always was full of surprises. When I thought she would say one thing, she'd say another. When I thought for sure she was going to do one thing, she'd shock me and do something completely off the wall. She was unpredictable at times, and it was yet another one of the things I really loved about her.

"I want you to come with me." She had said to me out of the blue.

"What?" For a moment I was stunned. She wanted me to go with her? But… Why? What purpose could I serve?

"I want _you_ to come with me." She said again, with a roll of her eyes. "Come on, Inu, it'll be fun! We can see the world together!" The excitement flashing through her eyes was contagious. "Just think of all the things we'll get to see, get to experience!"

I didn't say anything for some time. I didn't know what to say. I was awed that she wanted me to go with her, but at the same time not sure if this was such a good idea.

"I can't do this without you, InuYasha. We've been through so much together, and you're the only person I can think of that I'd want to sure this with." She added, her eyes looking deep into mine. "I promise it will be worth your while! You can be like… my assistant!" she added, as if searching for some valid reason as to why I should leave my home just to follow her in her travels. "You know, like look out for me, help me book gigs, make sure my manager isn't trying to screw me over… make sure I don't get a big head with all the fame sure to come my way…."

My heart had begun racing the moment the words had left her lips. Could I really do this? I wanted to so bad, but… what about my mother? I had obligations at home, and I couldn't just abandon them on a whim.

"I already talked to your mom about it. She thinks it's a great idea!" Kagome said, as if reading my thoughts. That was just like Kagome, she was always prepared and always thinking ahead. "She's going to move in with my mom. They'll take care of each other, and they'll have Sota too. Come on, I need you with me. I don't think I can do this without you. Please say yes." She pouted dramatically, and took my hand in hers.

Whatever weak resolve I had left in me, broke.

"Alright. Fine. I'll go." I said, pretending I was making such a huge life sacrifice to go with her. "Besides, you're right. When you do become famous, you'll need someone there, me, of course, to make sure you don't get too arrogant. Your head is big enough as it is."

She punched me hard in the arm then, and rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks." She rested her head on my shoulder, and I swore there was no way she couldn't hear my heart trying to make its way out of my chest. "I'm glad you're going with me, Inu. I don't think I could do this without you."

"I'll always be there for you, Kagome."

A few days later, we were on our way to the U.S. It was one of the hardest things we had ever done, but somehow with each other to lean on, we somehow managed to make it. There were times that first year when Kagome was so homesick that she wanted to give up, to go home. But I wouldn't let her. I couldn't let her give up so easily for fear it would be something she'd later regret.

We didn't have much money at the time, and I don't think that was something we were prepared to deal with, trying to get by with so little. I don't think either of us could have done it were it not for the strength of the other.

But finally, after months of hard work, Kagome started booking more gigs and the money began to steadily flow right in. I was even able to send quite a bit home to mom so she could finally retire. It was a good feeling and I was glad Kagome invited me to be a part of it.

My job title had changed several times since we left home. I was still her 'assistant', but as she became more popular my responsibilities slowly changed. For the most part though, I basically just followed Kagome around, made sure she had everything she could possibly need for every gig she booked. I was the one that made sure her dressing room met her standards, that she had all her favorite foods and drinks available to her. I called and confirmed all her appointments, and anyone that wanted to get in contact with her has to go through me first.

Above all, when I had a free minute, I loved watching her work… she was really good at her job. When the lights came on, and that camera was flashing away at her it was like she came alive. I know I'm biased because I'm in love with her, but she really is one of the most beautiful people I have ever seen.

We spent so much time together when she wasn't working. Where ever we went, we experienced it together. Paris, London, any place she booked a gig, we made sure we went sight-seeing, made sure we didn't miss a thing. We made so many memories at these places. I'll never forget them.

I felt like we were closer than ever before.

I wasn't as much of a social outcast as I had been in high school. Through my travels with Kagome I had finally grown into myself. I wasn't as scrawny as I was in my childhood. I had finally filled out, and became comfortable with myself. It was amazing how much confidence I had gained, and it was all because of Kagome.

She had done so much for me, and just when I was about to tell her how I really felt…. She was introduced to this Greek model.

She had met him on one of her photo shoots, and they had apparently hit it off pretty well. I was heartbroken. Especially when they started going on dates, and then when they finally made it official just two months later, my heart shattered.

We spent less time together, because now her free time was divided between her boyfriend and me. I never learned his name, and never cared to. For so long it had been just the two of us. I wasn't used to sharing her, and it was a hard thing to get used to. As each day went by I felt more and more like I was loosing her.

But just six months into their relationship, that all changed.

Kagome was out on a date with her boyfriend, and I had gone back to the hotel for an early night. I hated knowing she was spending time with him; it made my mind wander to places I didn't want it to go. I didn't want to think about the things they did together.

I didn't understand why it bothered me so strongly. I was never this bad when she was with Kouga… but perhaps it had something to do with the fact that I felt we had grown so close, that it hurt more to see her with someone else.

I knew it was late into the night when I woke up to the strangest sensation.

I was almost certain I had to be dreaming; there was no way this was really happening. I had always fantasized and often awoke to intimate dreams of Kagome and I. They were my deepest secrets and I they would never come true. She was too good for a guy like me. We'd never be together, so these dreams would be something I'd cherish, as in my eyes they were the only time we could truly be together.

But this wasn't a dream, as I would soon learn.

The first thing I noticed as I started to wake up, as that I was lying on my back. Something I never did, as I preferred to sleep on my side. I didn't have more time to dwell on that though, as the second thing that came to my senses was he fact that the boxers I had worn to bed were no longer there.

The cold air from the open window awakened me even further.

"W-what?" I tried to sit up, but a delicate hand pushed me back down.

"Shh. Please, let me."

"K-Kagome, what are you doing?"

And this was why I knew I had to be dreaming. Kagome would never be in bed with me, with me naked as the day I was born. It just wasn't something she had ever done. She had always respected my privacy, as I had done for her.

So… why now? What had changed to make her do something that out so outside the norm for our relationship? And more importantly how had she gotten into my room when I knew I had locked the door before going to bed that night?

"Kagome…" I tried again, but she did something that I would have never expected, and I found myself unable to form words.

Her delicate hands were touching me, stroking me, bringing me to life. My eyes rolled back into my head, as she traced every inch of me, leaving no part of my growing erection untouched.

Again, I was having trouble discerning whether all of this could be more than a dream. Here I was, possibly living out one of my most private fantasies, which could only mean that it was in no way reality.

Kagome just wouldn't do such a thing with me; she would never be so intimate with me, her best friend since childhood. She could never see me as being anything more than that.

But then, why did it feel so real?

"K-Kagome, we can't do this. What are you doing?" I managed to gasp out. I was already clutching at the sheets in my palms, trying to form thoughts and finding it very difficult.

"Why not, Inu?" It was too dark to see, but I could tell she was giving me her most famous pout. I could smell a hint of alcohol on her breath, and knew she was somewhat drunk.

"Your b-boyfriend." I managed to stutter.

I had always dreamed of being intimate with Kagome, but I could never condone cheating. It wasn't something I believed in, and I couldn't be a part of it. I always thought Kagome had felt the same way.

I felt her scoot closer to me as the mattress shifted under her weight.

"We broke up." She said as if we were simply discussing the weather.

"What… When..? Are you..."

"Shh..."

After that, I lost all coherent thought. Kagome, my best friend, the girl I was madly in love with, had taken me into her mouth. It was the most amazing feeling in the world.

I knew Kagome had been with a man before, but it was a whole knew world for me to experience such things for myself. It was so natural, being with her like that.

Prior to that night, I was a virgin. I had never been with a woman before, and Kagome was the only one I ever wanted to be with. She had given me so much that night, and I don't think she'll ever know it. It was extremely embarrassing for me at moments, but Kagome was patient with me. She taught me, she showed me true love.

I'll never forget it. The sensation of being joined with her for the first time, of being one... It was simply remarkable.

We made love several times that night. Slow, sensual, as if made for one another and one another alone.

I found pleasure I knew never existed through the feeling of our bodies gyrating together; I knew I would never be the same. But I couldn't stop. I needed this just as much as she did.

Kagome was the only one with the key to my heart. She gave me things that night I'll never forget.

She was beautiful and I felt as though I had fallen in love with her all over again, only this time was deeper than ever before.

When it was over, and we lay wrapped in each other's arms, her head resting on my naked chest, she spoke to me so softly I almost didn't hear her.

"Inu, do you think anyone could ever love me?"

"Kagome, how could you think such a thing? You're the most loveable person I've ever met. I don't think there is a single person who could not love you."

I didn't understand where this was coming from. Kagome was the strongest person I had ever met. I could count the number of times she'd ever show such vulnerability on one finger and that was when her dad has passed away when she was twelve.

What had happened to upset her like this?

"Do _you_ love me?"

I stilled and remained silent for a moment. I wanted to tell her how I REALLY felt about her. But I was afraid of rejection. And I wanted the moment where I finally declared my love for her to be special. This didn't feel **right.**

"Of course I do. You're my best friend." I kissed the top of her head, and she seemed to sigh a deep and relaxing sigh.

Kagome seemed too troubled, and as much as I wanted to express my feelings to her, now wasn't the time. The last thing I wanted Kagome to ever think was that I was making a mockery of her situation, or to scare her off for good. No, for now I would wait to tell her how I felt.

It wasn't long after that before Kagome had drifted off to sleep. But I lied awake for some time after, wondering what had just happened and whether or not I had just imagined the whole thing.

The next morning, when I awoke, she was gone. Were it not for the note on the nightstand telling me she had had some errands to run this morning, I might have believed my subconscious had concocted the whole thing.

I later learned, that her Greek boyfriend had been cheating on her the whole time they were together. He said she wasn't good enough for him and that he had only been using her for the sex.

I wanted to murder the guy, I was so furious. Thankfully for him we never saw the guy again. I don't know what I would have done had we ever crossed paths, but I knew it wouldn't have been pretty.

Kagome and my relationship didn't change much after that night. She almost acted as if it had never happened.

Almost.

Really, the only thing that had changed was the frequent sex. Kagome seemed to get some kind of pleasure out of sneaking away from her entourage with me, and having sex in some random place—especially on her photo shoots. Any chance she saw to sneak us away, she took it. It didn't happen often, but when it did, they were some of the best moments of my life.

It was wild, and crazy, but I loved those times together. The thrill of potentially being caught in the act was so exhilarating.

Despite this, I couldn't stop the nagging feeling that began to build in the pit of my stomach. We were still as close as ever, but something was different. I knew it was more than because of our newly started intimate relationship.

I often tried to talk to her about it, but she would shrug it off like it was nothing.

There was one time in particular, just after one of her photo shoots that seemed to strike a chord deep within me. I'll never forget it. Mostly because of the pain she had caused in my heart.

We had snuck away into the bathroom of her dressing room, where I had had her bent over the sink, as I sunk into her from behind.

Kagome often liked to watch our intimate moments, and I couldn't say I was against it either. It seemed to make the encounters more erotic, and fueled our lust.

When we had finished, she seemed more hurried than usual to get dressed. I watched as she faced away from me and began hastily throwing on her clothes.

Something about the way she was acting bothered me, though I couldn't quite place it.

"Kagome, what are we?" The words slipped from my mouth before I could stop them.

"What do you mean?" She stopped adjusting her blouse to finally look me in the eyes.

"Our relationship. It's different now. What are we?"

Kagome's face grew red, and she turned away from me quickly to pull on her jeans. I felt like she was hiding from me and I couldn't understand why.

"We're young, InuYasha." She said after a moment. "We're just having fun. Don't think so much about it." She was so offhanded about the situation, like it was nothing to her.

Kagome couldn't even look at me as she spoke. She seemed slightly irritated that I had even asked about it.

I watched, stunned into silence as she finished dressing herself and walked out the door without sparing me a second glance. It would take me several minutes to regain my composure enough to meet her outside.

I was more than devastated that she blew the situation off so easily, but I tried not to dwell on it too much. I was selfish, and didn't want to make her mad at me. I didn't want to change whatever this was that we had.

Still, there were times when I wanted to scream at her, to yell at her. Don't you know how much I love you? But I was too afraid of loosing her. I'd rather have this than nothing at all.

Another year would go by before anything of significance would happen again.

We were at a party for a friend she had met during her travels. Kagome had never looked more beautiful in the red strapless dress she wore that night.

I really wanted to spend the whole evening with her, but Kagome was a popular person. She had to mingle and everyone wanted a piece of her. It didn't take long before I ended up being pushed to the side, so I decided to spend the night alone, in one of the far corners, a drink clutched tightly in my hand.

I picked a place where I could secretly watch Kagome's ever move. She entranced me sometimes with her grace and beauty.

"Hello." A feminine voice jolted me from my obvious staring, and I quickly realized I was no longer alone.

"Hi." I said, unable to hide my discomfort at the unexpected intrusion. The woman who had now seated herself next to me was a platinum blonde I learned to be named Shiori.

For the first time ever, I forgot about Kagome and focused my attention on the woman to my right. We had fun, we laughed, and we talked. Before I knew it, more than two hours had gone by.

"I had a really great time," she had said. "We should do this again." Her smile was alluring, and full of secrets I almost wanted to know. "Here, let me give you my number. Maybe next time you're in town we can meet up."

"Uh, yeah, sure." It was the first time a woman had ever shown interest in me. I couldn't believe it. I was so shell-shocked. I left the party quickly after that, knowing Kagome would catch a ride in the limo she had on call.

I needed some fresh air, and didn't mind the 15-minute walk back to the hotel. I couldn't stop thinking about what had just happened. It was **invigorating. **

I felt so euphoric that I had to force myself not skip and jump as I made my way down the empty sidewalk. Women didn't typically give me the time of day. It wasn't that I was unattractive, I was just so good at being a loner, that I didn't exactly portray myself as being someone approachable when it came to the opposite sex.

When I finally reached the hotel, I went straight to bed, a light feeling in my heart. It had felt great to get her number. I knew I'd never use it. I wasn't interested in her enough to pursue a relationship.

I had been just about to submit to sleep when the sound of the hotel room door opening jolted me awake.

"Kagome," I said when I saw her silhouette in the doorway. "What are you doing here?"

The party wasn't set to end for another two hours, so I hadn't expected her to be back yet. Since the change in our relationship we more often than not shared the same hotel room.

She didn't answer me, just sauntered over to the bed, letting the door slam shut as she went. Sometime between the walk from the door to the bed she had slipped out of her red dress, and tossed her underwear aside.

I was already hard, and more than ready for her by the time she reached me. She climbed onto the bed, and jumped me. Her lips were on mine, hungrily, possessively. I felt like I was the prey, and she the hunter.

I tried to speak, but she wouldn't let me, silencing me with her touches and harsh caresses each and every time.

Later that night, lying face-to-face, still joined intimately, her leg hitched around my waist; I couldn't help but wonder what exactly had just happened.

It wasn't often that Kagome did things like this. Not that I didn't like it; I just didn't know where it had come from, or what had triggered it.

I ran my hand under up and down her back soothingly, loving the smoothness of her soft skin beneath my fingertips, content to just lie there forever.

Kagome's head rested against my chest, her arms wrapped tightly around me, as if afraid I would disappear if she ever let go.

Neither of us seemed to want to move, perfectly satisfied to lie in one another's arms.

After several moments of silence, she spoke.

"We'll always be friends, won't we InuYasha?" She asked faintly.

"Of course." I said without hesitation. I couldn't imagine a life without her. There was no doubt in my mind that we'd at the very least always be friends.

"I don't want to loose you. Ever. I want you to be with me always." She had said.

I gulped, swallowing the lump forming in my throat at her words. "We will be. Always. I promise."

Kagome was my drug; there was no way I could ever leave her.

She seemed pacified by this, and I could feel some of the tension leave her body, but I could tell without a doubt that there was also something else on her mind.

"Who was that girl woman you were with?" She asked finally, trying to sound as if she didn't care, but I knew her better than anyone. Kagome didn't ask about things she didn't care about.

The question caught me so off guard I was shocked into momentary silence. She saw that? Did that mean…? Did that mean she was jealous? I could hardly believe it. _Was_ Kagome _jealous_? Did she maybe return even a little bit of the feelings that I felt for her?

"No one. Just someone I met at the party." I tried to be a nonchalant as possible. I didn't want to give anything away.

"I don't want to share you, Inu." She said, wrapping her arms tighter around me.

I hardly knew how to respond to that. What did she mean? Didn't she know I was already hers, and that she didn't have to worry? All she had to do was say the word, and I'd give myself to her completely, if I hadn't already.

"You don't have to." I said in a near whisper, hoping she got the silent message I was trying to send her.

She grabbed me by my forelocks and gave me the most passionate kiss I had ever received. After that, we were official. Kagome made it no secret that we were together. She didn't care what people said about her, about us.

Not even the tabloids that sprung up like wildfire seemed to bother her in the slightest. Not many of them had too many nice things to say about our new relationship. In fact, most saw me as nothing but a gold digger. They portrayed me as a man that was only interested in Kagome for her fame and money.

It hurt me that they were so negative, as it was a reminder of our high school days when she was given grief about our close friendship. But I found strength in Kagome. If she could brush it off her shoulders like it was nothing, then I most certainly could do the same.

Still, at times it was a bit of a culture shock for me, and was definitely something I struggled to adapt to. Prior to that moment, I was almost invisible. No one really saw me; no one cared to notice me. But now that I was "Kagome's boyfriend," I suddenly became important too, someone to look at, someone to talk to. It was strange for someone always used to being on the outside looking in.

For the most part, Kagome encouraged these interactions, though she especially hated when other women took an interest in me. She made sure they knew just whom I belonged to.

Shortly after the first story was printed, our mothers had called, demanding why neither of us had taken the time to inform them of the good news, and to then ask when there would be a wedding. I was mortified, but Kagome handled it all pretty well.

As much as things had changed, they still remained the same. Just months into our new relationship, I was beginning to feel like maybe this wasn't going to work, that maybe this couldn't last.

Initially, things had been great. I felt we were stronger than we had ever been. But then Kagome's career began to explode like wildfire. She steadily got busier and busier, far more than I had ever remembered her being.

Sure, I was there to help, but there was only so much I could do; only so much I could be involved with. Our stolen moments were at a minimum, and I was beginning to feel like this was a mistake, that maybe she didn't feel for me as much as I did for her. If she did, wouldn't she make more of an effort to spend time with me?

There was one moment, where I felt like I was at my breaking point. That I had suffered through this as much as I possibly could and that I could absolutely take it no more.

I had always thought we'd be together forever, but now after all we had been through, I wasn't so sure anymore. Maybe I had been wrong, and maybe it was time to leave things here, to end our relationship now before it became irreparable. Really, I'd be doing us a favor, I had thought, desperately needing some kind of justification for my intended actions.

I slowly sipped down my third drink that night, alone in our hotel room, while Kagome spent the night out at some party. She had invited be to go, downright insisted I be there with her, but I didn't feel up to it. I just wasn't in the mood to put on this happy charade any longer.

It would be the same like every other gathering we went to, anyways. She would try valiantly to spend the evening with me, but as would always be the case, someone would eventually succeed in dragging her away, and I'd be left alone to myself for the rest of the night.

Time for ourselves was slowly becoming more and more difficult as she became more and more well-known. Kagome was now a household name. She had been on the cover of almost every magazine for one reason or another. She had succeeded in making a name for herself, and had done very well. She worked hard for it, and she more than deserved it. I was proud of her and still very grateful she had picked me of all people to share this adventure with.

But I couldn't live like this anymore. I either wanted all of her, or none of her. I never thought I'd reach this point, but here I was. We'd still be friends, always, but I couldn't follow her around and watch as we grew apart.

I'd rather _die._

I realized, the only way to salvage what little we had left of whatever this was, was to end things before they got too bad.

It would kill me to do this, but I knew it would be the best for the both of us. It would probably be one of the hardest things I'd ever do, but I knew it had to be done.

The separation would be painful for the both of us, but I knew time would heal all wounds.

I should have known better though.

As I said before, the thing about Kagome was, she was always full of surprises. She always found a way to catch me off guard, to prove me wrong.

That night, as I secluded myself to our hotel balcony, watching the sun set behind the horizon, sipping the cold beer in my hand, would be no exception.

So lost was I to my own little pity party, that I didn't hear the glass door slide open. In fact, not until the drink was stolen from my hand, and a weight had settled on my lap did I realize anything was amiss.

"Kagome," I began, staring blankly at the woman now straddling me. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" I asked, flabbergasted.

I had thought she had left a long time ago, so to see her here now was a bit startling.

"You didn't think I forgot about your birthday did you?" She asked with one eyebrow raised.

I gaped at her. In all my self-pity, and because we had been so busy lately, I had **forgotten my own birthday**.

But Kagome, despite how busy she had been as well, had somehow remembered when I had forgotten.

Maybe things weren't as bad as I had imagined they were. Maybe I wasn't trying hard enough.

She trailed her hands along my chest, drawing shapes and circles, sending pleasurable tingles throughout my body.

"I had planned a surprise party for you." She continued to say. "With all of our friends, and family." She pouted, and mock sniffled. "But then you refused to go and ruined everything."

"What?"

Kagome was now playing with the collar of my shirt. "Yeah. Our moms are there and everything, but since _you_ seemed intent on your own little pity party, I decided that maybe I'll give you your present early, before I drag you out the door." She smirked, and looked deep into my eyes.

This woman, what was I thinking when I thought I could live without her? It must have been a moment of utter insanity. It was an almost grave mistake I vowed never to make again.

"Oh, yeah?" I questioned, running my fingers through her dark hair.

"Yeah." She said, putting each of her hands on either side of my head. "Aren't you going to open it?"

She gestured down, and I realized that all she was wearing was a thin pink robe, loosely tied, giving me a teaser of what she wore underneath—nothing at all.

I didn't need much more encouragement than that. Our clothes were gone in seconds, strewn across the balcony, some falling over the edge to the great unknown below.

She was my angel, delivering me to the highest power, to the highest form of happiness, as I allowed her to take control of my body.

Kagome guided me, showing me just how much she truly loved me. I felt ashamed to have ever doubted her.

Afterwards, she sat in my lap, her naked flesh warm against my own. "I love you." She had said. "I hope you know that."

I smiled, the biggest smile I'd ever smiled. **She** _loved_ **me**. We had said it before, but somehow, until this moment, it didn't feel as real—it hadn't meant as much as it did now.

"I love you too." I returned, from the depths of my heart.

She shifted then, to look me in the eyes. "I know." Kagome had said mischievously.

I raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You know?"

"Of course. You've always loved me. It was easy to see." She smirked, playfully.

I was having a hard time deciding if she was serious, or if she was just messing with me.

"Oh, really?" I shot back, deciding to play fire with fire. "What makes you think that?"

She sat up, and gestured to herself. "What's not to love?"

I smiled, a genuine happy smile and pulled her back into my arms "You're right. I'm lucky to have you."

"You are." She said, not a bit too arrogantly. "Which is why I'm taking the next six months off, just for us. No working, no gigs, no photo shoots, nothing. Just you and me, wherever we want to go, whatever we want to do, no one to get in our way."

"Kagome… Do you really mean it?" I couldn't believe what she was saying. This was one of the best gifts she had ever given me.

I really was lucky to have Kagome in my life. Just when I thought things couldn't get worse, she was always there, picking me up off my feet and bringing me back to life. She gave me so much; I only hoped one day I could return even an ounce of the happiness she had bestowed upon me.

"Yes, I'm more serious about this than anything else in the world." She snuggled comfortably against me. "I missed you and I felt like I was loosing you. We need this. We need time for ourselves. I want you to promise that when you feel like things are getting to tough that you'll talk to me. I don't think I could ever go on if I lost you." The last part was said in a whisper.

I knew then that she cared for me just as deeply as I cared for her. I had nothing to worry about and had been a fool not to have talked to her about my fears. Just thinking about how close I had come to throwing all of this away over something so stupid scared me. I'd never make that mistake again.

I kissed her softly on the lips. "I promise."

"Good! Now let's get going!" She said, jumping to her feet and taking me with her. "Everyone is waiting! Our moms will kill us if we don't show up soon!"

It was one of the best nights of my life. I'll never forget it.

Now, Kagome and I are stronger than ever. Ready to take on all life has in store for us. We have our ups and downs, sure. Sometimes we even have the strangest arguments over the stupidest things. But in the end, we have each other and we never let any argument destroy the love that we share.

I couldn't imagine a life without her love. And finally after so many years of heartache, I wouldn't ever have to.

* * *

Yeah. I have no idea where this story came from. It kept me up for days and continuously pestered me until I had it done. What started as only a 3,000 word oneshot quickly evolved into one almost three times its size! If you see any errors, or something just doesn't sound right, please let me know so I can fix it. And if you love it, please review! If you hate it… keep it to yourselves or I may cry… haha, no I won't, but be gentle. I have a strange fondness for this oneshot for some reason…

On that note, I have no plans to continue this as I feel it is fine all one its own, and I really can't see it going anywhere else. MAYBE, I was thinking of doing a part two in Kagome's POV, but only if there was enough interest. Though maybe not even then as I really think it's perfect as it is.

Please Review!


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